Chapter 21

And so it was Ki-Tsang who had just attacked the Grand Transasiatic on
the plains of Gobi. The pirate of Vunnan had learned that a van
containing gold and precious stones of enormous value had formed part
of this train! And was there anything astonishing in that, considering
that the newspapers, even those of Paris, had published the fact many
days before? So Ki-Tsang had had time to prepare his attempt, and had
lifted a portion of the rails, and would probably have succeeded in
carrying off the treasure if Faruskiar had not brought him to his feet.
That is why our hero had been so uneasy all the morning; if he had been
looking out over the desert so persistently, it was because he had been
warned of Ki-Tsang's plans by the last Mongol who had joined the train
at Tchertchen! Under any circumstances we had now nothing to fear from
Ki-Tsang. The manager of the company had done justice on the
bandit--speedy justice, I admit. But we are in the midst of the deserts
of Mongolia, where there are no juries as yet, which is a good thing
for the Mongols.

"Well," said I to the major, "I hope you have abandoned your suspicions
with regard to my lord Faruskiar?"

"To a certain extent, Monsieur Bombarnac!" Only to a certain extent?
Evidently Major Noltitz is difficult to please.

But let us hasten on and count our victims. On our side there are three
dead, including the Chinese officer, and more than twelve wounded, four
of them seriously, the rest slightly, so that they can continue their
journey to Pekin. Popof escaped without a scratch, Caterna with a
slight graze which his wife insists on bathing.

The major has the wounded brought into the cars and does the best for
them under the circumstances. Doctor Tio-King offers his services, but
they seem to prefer the Russian army surgeon, and that I understand. As
to those who have fallen it is best for us to take them on to the next
station and there render them the last services.

The thieves had abandoned their dead. We covered them over with a
little sand, and that is all we need say.

The place where we had been stopped was halfway between Tcharkalyk and
Tchertchen, the only two stations from which we could procure help.
Unfortunately they were no longer in telegraphic communication,
Ki-Tsang having knocked down the posts at the same time as he lifted
the rails.

Hence a discussion as to what was the best thing to be done, which was
not of long duration.

As the engine had run off the rails, the very first thing to do was
evidently to get it onto them again; then as there was a gap in the
line, the simplest thing to do was to run back to Tchertchen, and wait
there until the company's workmen had